Practice golf ball

ABSTRACT

A practice golf ball comprises a spherical member, a weight member, and a coating means. The spherical member is made of a paper and formed between about 1.5 inch and 2.5 inches in diameter. The coating means coats a spherical surface of the spherical member so that the coating means protects the spherical member against an external impact. For a better performance, the spherical member is made of corrugated paper. The corrugated paper spherical member has a plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities. The plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities can be formed by the plurality of wave forming sheets sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This present invention relates to a golf ball. More particularly, this present invention relates to a practice golf ball made of paper, which reliably resists breaking or cracking while providing sufficient resilience. More specifically, the present invention relates to a practice golf ball made of corrugated paper or aerated paper to closely simulate the look and feel, and also the flight trajectory, of a standard golf ball.

[0002] As an increasing number of people enjoy golf, there are introduced on the market a variety of golf practice tools including an indoor putting practice kit and a swing practice tool, since continuous swing practice in golf is essentially required to both advanced golfers and beginning golfers.

[0003] It is generally understood that a conventional golf ball is not appropriate to perform a swing practice in a small indoor location for fear that a miss-hitting golf ball may cause a physical or material damage. Many golfers, particularly beginning golfers, are typically nervous about hitting the golf ball out of a protection cover such as a net, due to a safety accident. That is, a deviated golf ball can easily hit on a wrong target during an outdoor practice as well as an indoor practice. These and other problems may be substantially overcome by increasing a safety reliance on a golf ball.

[0004] There is a strong demand for a golf ball which may allow beginning golfers and those enjoying a golf game for entertainment to satisfy their needs. It is also desirable that the golf ball provides more elasticity while having substantially similar flight characteristics of a standard golf ball, but with a reduced flight trajectory. So the beginning golfer may easily notice if he or she has a tendency to hook, slice, fade or draw a golf ball.

[0005] Also, there is a need that, such a golf ball is controllable in weight and applicable to various entertainment games. Moreover, the golf ball should be able to be putted into a regular hole cup for a golf ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] To achieve the foregoing objects and other objects as embodied and broadly described herein, a practice golf ball according to the present invention comprises of a spherical member made of paper material between about 1.5 inch and 2.5 inches in diameter. For a better performance the practice golf ball can have a cover.

[0007] For a better performance, the spherical member is made of corrugated paper. The corrugated paper spherical member has a plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities. The plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities can be formed by the plurality of wave forming sheets sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets. An example of the corrugated paper can be several corrugated cardboard sheets joined together.

[0008] One variation to the present invention can be made by using an aerated paper materials. An aerated paper material is a paper product made from paper pulp with much air mixed within. An example of the aerated paper is the paper material that is used to make paper trays that are used to hold drinks and other food items served at convenient fast food stores; these trays are often used for drive-thru customers. The inventor does not know the commercial term for this paper material.

[0009] The advantages of the present invention are numerous. They are: (1) the practice golf ball made of product reliably resists breaking or cracking from an external impact thanks to resilience that comes from a paper characteristic; (2) the weight of the practice ball can be easily adjusted among balls by adjusting the size of the cylindrical cavities so the weight of the ball can vary from very light to the weight of a standard LPGA™ approved golf ball; (3) alternatively, the weight of the practice ball can be easily adjusted among balls by adjusting the air content of the aerated paper so the weight of the ball can vary from very light to the weight of a standard LPGAM approved golf ball; (4) the holes formed in and along the practice golf ball (from the ends of the parallel substantially cylindrical cavities) serve as dimples of the conventional golf ball so that it does not require an additional surface finishing process, hereby significantly decreasing production cost; and (5) the practice golf ball may create a variety of entertainment games that can be played indoors as well as outdoors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a practice golf ball according to the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view and a partial enlargement view detailing a cylindrical cavities of a practice golf ball according to the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the practice golf ball according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] With reference to the accompanying drawings, the practice golf ball according to the present invention will now be described.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the practice golf ball 10 according to the present invention has a spherical member 12 made of a paper material. The diameter of the spherical member 12 should be between about 1.5 inch and 2.5 inches.

[0016] In the present invention, the spherical member 12 is made of corrugated paper 14 having plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16. Generally, the parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 are formed by having plurality of layering sheets 18 and plurality of wave forming sheets 20, so that the plurality of wave forming sheets 20 are sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets 18.

[0017] In order to protect the spherical member 12 and the practice golf ball 10, the practice golf ball 10 can have a cover 22 surrounding the spherical member 12 in its entirety. Also to help simulate the standard golf ball, the outer surface of the cover 22 can have plurality of dimples 24. The cover 22 shown in FIG. 1 shows circularly shaped dimples 24, but the dimples 24 can be of any shape and size, and also the dimples 24 can extend deep into the surface of the cover 22 and even into the spherical member 12.

[0018] Although it is ideal to have the cover 22 to have an extended, long term, use of the practice golf ball 10, it is not necessary. One advantage of this invention is that, when the practice ball does not have a cover 22, the ends of the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 simulates the dimples 24 of the cover 22. Moreover, when the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 can extend completely through the practice golf ball 10, the air resistance of the practice golf ball 10 in flight can be significant; greatly reducing the distance of the flight. Moreover, such a practice golf ball 10 would make a “whoosh” sound during the flight because of the flow of air through and over the surface of the practice ball, enhancing the joy of the practice.

[0019] The cover 22, because it is not an essential part of the invention, when used, can be made of synthetic material (such as surlyn™, plastic, PVC, or nylon), rubber, cloth (such as cotton, wool, nylon, silk, or any weaved fiber), paper, or metal. In fact, the cover 22 can be made of either hook or pile surface material to adhere to a pile or hook surface (pile surface on the practice golf ball 10 is preferred) for target practice. Moreover, the cover 22 can be a coat of paint.

[0020]FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view and a partial enlargement view detailing several variations of cylindrical cavities 16 of a practice golf ball 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 2a shows a version which has the plurality of wave forming sheets 20 are shaped to form substantially sinusoidal waves. As the sinusoidal wave changes its amplitude, the cylindrical cavities 16 are formed between the wave forming sheet and the layering sheet. As a relevant variation, FIG. 2b shows a version which has the plurality of wave forming sheets 20 are shaped to form substantially triangular waves; and FIG. 2c shows a version which has the plurality of wave forming sheets 20 are shaped to form substantially square or rectangular waves. Whether the sinusoidal or the triangular or the square or the rectangular or similar shape wave form is used, it is the intent of the inventor to have the cavities formed by these waves be referred as substantially cylindrical cavities 16.

[0021]FIG. 2d shows a version in which the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 are formed by the plurality of dividing sheets 26 sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets 18. The difference between this version and the versions shown in FIG. 2a, FIG. 2b, and FIG. 2c is that any shape of the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 can be formed. Similarly, FIG. 2e shows the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 are substantially hexagonal honeycomb 28 in shape or substantially octagonal (not shown) honeycomb 28 in shape. In FIG. 2e, similar to FIG. 2d, the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16 are formed by the plurality of dividing sheets 26 sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets 18. In this version, the plurality dividing sheets 26 have the waves, but the plurality of dividing sheets 26 do not.

[0022]FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the practice golf ball 10 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the spherical member 12 is made of a solidified and aerated paper 30 having at least 20% air by volume of the spherical member 12. The aerated paper 30 is made, generally but not limited to, of solidified and aerated wood or paper pulp with a significant amount of air mixed within. An example of the aerated paper 30 is the paper material that is used to make paper trays that are used to hold drinks and other food items served at convenient fast food stores; these trays are often used for drive-thru customers. The inventor does not know the commercial term for this paper material. One advantage of the use of aerated paper 30 is that the weight and the hardness of the practice golf ball 10 can be easily varied among different practice golf balls 10 based on the content of air. A practice golf ball 10 with the spherical member 12 made of aerated paper 30 having at least 50% air by volume can be made to substantially reduce the flight trajectory and the distance of the practice golf ball 10.

[0023] The advantages of the present invention are numerous. They are, at least: (1) the practice golf ball 10 made of paper product reliably resists breaking or cracking from an external impact thanks to resilience that comes from a paper characteristic; (2) the weight of the practice ball can be easily adjusted among balls by adjusting the size of the cylindrical cavities 16 so the weight of the ball can vary from very light to the weight of a standard LPGA™ approved golf ball; (3) alternatively, the weight of the practice ball can be easily adjusted among balls by adjusting the air content of the aerated paper 30 so the weight of the ball can vary from very light to the weight of a standard LPGAT™ approved golf ball; (4) the holes formed in and along the practice golf ball 10 (from the ends of the parallel substantially cylindrical cavities 16) serve as dimples 24 of the conventional golf ball so that it does not require an additional surface finishing process, hereby significantly decreasing production cost; and (5) the practice golf ball 10 may create a variety of entertainment games that can be played indoors as well as outdoors.

[0024] Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible by converting the aforementioned construction. An example of such a variation is that the practice golf ball 10 can have a core (not shown) which is heavier than paper (such as a steel ball or a high density plastic ball) within the spherical member 12 to make the practice golf ball 10 heavier. Another example of such a variation can be that the practice golf ball 10 can have a substantially hollow core (not shown) within the spherical member 12 to make the practice golf ball 10 very light. These variations are intended to be included in the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention shall not be limited by the specification specified above and the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A practice golf ball, comprising a spherical member made of a paper material, wherein the spherical member is between about 1.5 inch and 2.5 inches in diameter.
 2. The practice ball of claim 1 further comprising a cover.
 3. The practice ball of claim 2, wherein the spherical member is made of corrugated paper having a plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities.
 4. The practice ball of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of layering sheets and a plurality of wave forming sheets, wherein the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities are formed by the plurality of wave forming sheets sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets.
 5. The practice ball of claim 4, wherein the plurality of wave forming sheets are shaped to form substantially sinusoidal waves.
 6. The practice ball of claim 4, wherein the plurality of wave forming sheets are shaped to form substantially square or rectangular waves.
 7. The practice ball of claim 4, wherein the plurality of wave forming sheets are shaped to form substantially triangular waves.
 8. The practice ball of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of layering sheets and a plurality of dividing sheets, wherein the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities are formed by the plurality of dividing sheets sandwiched between the plurality of layering sheets.
 9. The practice ball of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities are shaped to form substantially square or rectangular waves.
 10. The practice ball of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parallel substantially cylindrical cavities are substantially hexagonal honeycomb in shape or substantially octagonal honeycomb in shape.
 11. The practice ball of claim 2, wherein the spherical member is made of an aerated paper having at least 20% air by volume of the spherical member.
 12. The practice ball of claim 2, wherein the spherical member is made of aerated paper having at least 50% air by volume of the spherical member.
 13. The practice ball of claim 11, wherein the aerated paper, wherein the aerated paper is made of solidified and aerated wood or paper pulp.
 14. The practice ball of claim 12, wherein the aerated paper, wherein the aerated paper is made of solidified and aerated wood or paper pulp.
 15. The practice ball of claim 3, wherein the cover comprises of a synthetic material.
 16. The practice ball of claim 3, wherein the cover comprises of a paint.
 17. The practice ball of claim 5, wherein the cover comprises of a synthetic material.
 18. The practice ball of claim 5, wherein the cover comprises of a paint.
 19. The practice ball of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises of a synthetic material.
 20. The practice ball of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises of a paint. 